Purdue looks to connect with more high-tech companies for Interns for Indiana program

February 18, 2013

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University is recruiting
high-tech startup and second-stage companies across the state to participate in
the Interns for Indiana program.

The companies are matched with high-quality undergraduate
student interns through the Purdue program, led by the Discovery Learning
Research Center. Interns are placed with companies based on the potential for a
quality experience for students, the opportunity for on-the-job growth and
future employment, and the company's specific needs.

"Interest in the model program continues to surge,
particularly from innovative startup companies all across Indiana and from
entrepreneurially minded students looking to position themselves for quality
jobs after graduation," said Suresh Garimella, Purdue associate vice
president for engagement and the R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Distinguished
Professor.

Purdue's Interns for Indiana program is partially funded
by the Lilly Endowment Inc. Participating companies are required to provide a
$2,000 membership fee to help cover a portion of student and program costs,
said Monica Shively, coordinator for the Interns for Indiana program.

Companies partnering with the Interns for Indiana summer
program are matched with Purdue juniors and seniors who work a minimum of 400
hours during the summer session, and who receive a stipend of $4,500 for successful
participation, she said.

"Recognizing the constrained financial resources of
most startup and second-stage companies, especially during a tough economy, the
program attempts to keep company costs for skilled interns as low as possible,"
Shively said.

Each July, the companies and students are recognized in a
celebration luncheon and poster session at the Hall for Discovery and Learning
Research in Purdue's Discovery Park. At the poster celebration, participants
gain greater understanding of the program's scope and statewide impact.

"In every
case, interactions with the interns through this Purdue program have moved
projects forward or allowed us to begin to explore new projects while reducing
costs," said David
Gilmartin, chief financial officer and operations manager at Mor-NuCo LLC in
West Lafayette.

To participate in the program, students from the West
Lafayette or regional campuses must be:

* Juniors and seniors enrolled in first BA or BS degree
program.

* From any undergraduate major.

* Interested in entrepreneurship.

* Have a minimum 2.8 GPA.

Launched in 2004, Interns for Indiana is designed to
enhance student learning by facilitating practical hands-on experiences for all
majors. Primarily funded by the Lilly Endowment, the program has matched more
than 550 Purdue students with internships at more than 185 Indiana startup and
second-stage companies and provided more than 200,000 combined hours of labor.

A key reason for creating the program was the "brain
drain" issue facing the state, in which Indiana's talented college
graduates leave in search of high-paying, high-tech jobs in large metropolitan
cities, particularly on the East and West coasts, Shively says.

In addition, the program boosts the quality of Indiana's
workforce by providing experiences that encourage quality Purdue students to
seek in-state employment after graduation, while driving economic development
and job creation by supporting these high-tech companies.